1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an Integrated Circuit ("IC") handling system, and more particularly pertains to an IC handling and contact system for subsequent mating to an integrated circuit tester.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The majority of the integrated circuit handlers on the market are designed to handle the most common configuration for integrated circuits, the dual-in-line package (DIP). Very few handlers are currently available to test the new integrated circuit packages. The semiconductor market has been moving away from the popular dual-in-line packages over the last few years due to technological demands. The primary advantage of the new IC packages is an electrical benefit dealing with parasitic resistance, capacitance and inductance, which enables the new IC packages to track at digital clock rates approaching four gigahertz as opposed to 500 megahertz for a DIP. Increased demand for size and weight reduction of integrated circuit packages at reasonable costs and high production yields has also led the industry to develop new and unique packages. These new integrated circuit packages are the leadless chip carrier (LLCC), the leaded chipped carrier (LCC) also called quad packs or leaded plastic, pin grid arrays, flat packs, and small outline packages. The prior art handlers were not able to test these specific packages.
The prior art integrated circuit handlers also lack adjustability to accommodate different sized packages of integrated circuits having different foot prints for making electrical contact with the multiple pads or pins such that a tester can perform subsequent tests. The prior art IC handlers lacked any substantial system for contacting pin grid arrays or quad packs.
Other prior art IC handling systems failed to remove electromechanical, mechanical, and electrical actuator components outside of the environmental chambers which caused significant breakdowns of the handling systems for the integrated circuits.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an IC handling and contactor system where the electromechanical, mechanical, and electrical components are located in a second chamber adjacent to an environmental chamber, a viewing window is provided through the environmental chamber, the input and output tracks are adjustable to accept variations in width and thickness of integrated circuits, contactor assemblies are provided which can on an interchange basis accommodate any configuration, such as a pin grid array, quadpack, or most other IC configurations, a singulator includes a single oscillating moving mechanism, the contactor assembly includes preloading of springs to engage the integrated circuits and the sorter is a monodirectional device.